A Nigerian woman in Lebanon identified as Peace Ufuoma from her passport, and was recently advertised for sale on Facebook has been rescued.
The advert that caused an outcry in Nigeria, was made by a Lebanese man named Wael Jerro, who was arrested by the police.
The chairperson of the Commission for Nigerians in the Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told the BBC that the 30-year-old woman was now safe at the Nigerian embassy in Beirut after she was rescued by the Lebanese authorities.
Ms. Dabiri-Erewa did not give details about how Ufuoma was rescued but said the lockdown imposed by the Lebanese authorities to fight the coronavirus pandemic helped in tracing her.
Wael Jerro was arrested last week for allegedly putting the domestic worker for sale for US$1,000 (£807) on Facebook.
A passport photo of the Ufuoma was included in the advert which caused widespread social media condemnation.
The UN says thousands of women and girls from Nigeria and other African countries are being trafficked every year – often lured with false job promises in Europe and Asia – but usually end up being exploited as domestic maids or forced into prostitution.
Last year, an undercover BBC News Arabic investigation in Kuwait found that domestic workers were being illegally bought and sold online in a booming black market. (Source: BBC)